A shocking case of suspected large-scale cyber fraud has rocked the administration in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district. Authorities have uncovered that a small village with a population of just 1,500 people registered an impossible 27,397 births in just three months, triggering a major investigation into data manipulation and identity fraud.
The Impossible Numbers That Raised the Alarm
The bizarre discrepancy came to light during a routine verification drive by health officials. Extension officers of the health department in Arni taluka were stunned to find that the Civil Registration System (CRS) software showed 27,397 birth entries and seven death entries for Shendursani Gram Panchayat between September and November 2025. Given the village's actual population of approximately 1,500, these figures were immediately flagged as grossly disproportionate and highly suspicious.
Following the discovery, the District Health Officer (DHO) formally reported the matter to the Yavatmal city police on Tuesday. The case was also escalated to Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Mandar Patki, who wasted no time in forming a special inquiry committee. This committee, led by the deputy chief executive officer of the panchayat department, conducted an on-site inspection at Shendursani to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Technical Trail Points to Cyber Criminals in Mumbai
The initial inquiry confirmed the worst fears: the tens of thousands of birth and death records did not belong to people within the gram panchayat's jurisdiction. A deeper technical investigation was initiated through the Deputy Director of Health Services in Pune.
This technical audit revealed a critical clue. The CRS ID (MH18241RE) belonging to Shendursani Gram Panchayat was found to be mapped to an internet protocol (IP) address in Mumbai. This strongly indicated that the records were not entered locally but remotely, likely by cyber criminals operating from the metropolitan city.
The scale of the fraud prompted authorities to involve national agencies. The matter was referred to the office of the Additional Registrar General of India in New Delhi and the National Informatics Centre (NIC). Their assessment, communicated on December 11, concluded there was a strong likelihood the entries were fabricated through cyber fraud. This finding was formally relayed to the Pune health directorate and the Yavatmal Zilla Parishad.
Political Reaction and Police Action
The scandal drew immediate political attention. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya visited the village on Wednesday and demanded a thorough investigation. Speaking to the media, Somaiya pointed out that 99.99% of the names in the fraudulent records belonged to individuals from states like West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and nearby regions.
He suggested that the login credentials of the gram panchayat's computer operator might have been misused. "I have spoken to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and demanded that all these birth registration entries be cancelled," Somaiya stated.
On the legal front, the Yavatmal police have registered a formal offence under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. Police Inspector Nandkishor Kale confirmed that a complaint regarding the irregularities has been received and a probe is underway. The case highlights a serious vulnerability in the digital infrastructure used for vital national registration systems and underscores the evolving threat of cybercrime targeting government databases.
